About Maria

My work reflects the different stages of my life

María was raised in Spain during a time of immense change. Born during the tail end of Franco’s dictatorship I am a product of transition, of social privilege, and a post-industrial Basque society; marked by both the 80’s economic crisis of my adolescence and a conservative Spanish education. A great deal of my adult life has been divided between Canada and Spain.I completed my secondary education and University years in Canada, where in 1995 I graduated with Honours from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon with a B.F.A. in painting and Art History. In 1996 I moved to Ottawa in Ontario Canada, from where I traveled to Spain intermittently for over a decade. In the past 24 years I have dedicated my life to my art career in painting; Creating, exhibiting, organizing and teaching in the arts as well as continuing furthering my education through post-university studies in history, graphic design, printing, ceramics, traditional tiling and textiles. I have recently completed my Masters in Art Therapy in Spain, where I teach art and use art therapy at Queens British Grammar school and my own studio in Estepona.I work in the South of Spain, where I live with my lovely family.

About my art

My paintings are usually figurative narratives that tell the story of a woman going about her regular day somewhere in contemporary Western culture. I mix my own history with fantasy. I combine humour, social commentary and beauty to attract an audience that becomes a participant in the installations I create with my painting series. My work reflects the different stages of my life, I paint what I live going from early work as an adolescent, concerned about social conforms, early adulthood as a woman getting married, divorced, being a new mother, a single mother, working mother, daughter, sister, lover, friend and on. I paint form my personal perception of the world, creating worlds that we can all relate to.

Artist

Interview with Maria –

femenino plural

I have always painted in my spare time, in the margins of the book at school, in painting classes, on the walls of the street, in my clothes, in the clothes of others, everywhere and everywhere.

I finished my Fine Arts degree in 1995 with the intention of doing a postgraduate in architecture. Between one thing and another, going through the branches of life, I never sent the request and I have kept painting here and there until today.